Finally Home
She hangs straight down
feelers embedded in the
comfrey’s pale purple cup
sipping on summer nectar
as through returning to the cocoon
from which she emerged
at early fall’s late dawn,
wings flat as though
still drying, perfect
in symmetry and comfort
to the eye.
There too, her partner in nectar,
the hummingbird dips
her long tongue into comfrey’s
bells, silent clappers,
and into the mouth of jewelweed,
nature’s own uncultured orchid,
orange, bountiful, pulled up
by others as weeds
along with milkweed.
The monarch releases
her legs and tongue,
takes a bow below the comfrey’s
pale purple bells,
zings through air
first dampened by
the hummingbird’s wings,
her ceaseless stirring.
© Laura Rodley, 2017
Thank-you Laura Rodley for sharing your work!
A generous and frequent contributor here, Laura Rodley writes for Country Folks about “Farmer Purdy,” the anuual Franklin County 4-H Fair, and other wonderful subjects.
She has two books of poetry forthcoming: Counter Point (Prolific Press) and Turn Left at Normal (BIG TABLE Publishing).
Two chapbooks by Laura have been published by Finishing Line Press.
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